“The National Football League should take an assist from the NBA and pick up the slack,” Reid said Wednesday on the Senate Floor, via NBCNews.com, with a bad basketball pun. “It would be a slam dunk,” he added, with an even worse pun. “For far too long the NFL has been sitting on its hands doing nothing while an entire population of Americans has been denigrated,” Reid said, thankfully ditching the puns.

“How long will the NFL continue to do nothing — zero — as one of its teams bears a name that inflicts so much pain on Native Americans?” Reid said. He also praised NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for taking swift and decisive action against Clippers owner Donald Sterling, whose ugly views on race became known through a privately-recorded conversation with his ex-girlfriend.

The difference with the Redskins is that the nickname has been hiding in plain sight for years. While no sports team ever could adopt that name now (which actually could strengthen the argument to change it), decades of existence will make it much harder to justify change now. Unless and until the NFL concludes that it has no choice but to nudge owner Daniel Snyder to change the name — and unless and until Snyder can find a way to at a minimum save face or at most to leverage some tangible benefit (like a Super Bowl in D.C.) — the name will remain.

That could come in the next three years or perhaps in the next 30. For now, it’s highly unlikely that the Sterling situation will prompt change in the next three weeks or three months.

I find it interesting that the politically correct police ignore the fact that the QB for the Redskins, who is a minority, says that the name has no bad intent behind it and it should not be changed. They also ignore the fact that most Native Americans don’t care about it.

The only assist that the NBA situation might offer for those wanting Washington to change the name is the power of sponsors. Unless and until major business partners and sponsors make it an issue for Snyder, nothing will change.

Keep it goin guys…
Within the next 3 years, all Snyder bashers will LOVE the guy for having the cajones to pass on a Super Bowl in dc, tons of money in exchange for a name change, pressure from haters and the media and show staunch resistance til the butter end. He himself is a true lifelong fan. He WILL NOT change the name no matter what public perception is. I for one applaud that. I for one absolutely love the guy for not caving and keeping our beloved Redskins the Redskins.

Be quiet….
Focus on YOUR job….
Stop being a blowhard….
Try to accomplish something productive. ANYTHING

If that all fails… perhaps just go away!

acmepackers says:Apr 30, 2014 10:31 PM

Dude, get ONE thing done for our country. Stop worrying about pro football.

Still think the league should adopt The Onion’s idea: Washington Redskins change name to D.C. Redskins

bhuettl says:Apr 30, 2014 10:32 PM

Maybe its time to make a deal. Washington changes their name and the Indians stop all of their casinos. They get thier name back and our senior citizens get to keep their grand kids inheritances. Besides, I don’t seem to remember anywhere in our history books where our native Americans were the great purveyor of gaming in the history of this country. Bottom line…this country is not fair. Never claimed to be. We all need to figure it out, get over it and get on with it.

You can’t just force or take away a trademark worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But the NFL will want to look good. But they will have to compensate Snyder– so then like many American corporations will look to the Democrats to legislate a government bailout of the Redskins name.

Here we go on the slippery slope Mark Cuban alluded too. Other owners will be blackmailed or pressured to manage / sell their teams to whomever the power that be selects. We have a crisis in the NBA and you can count on some of these pols to use this as an opportunity capitalize and exploit.

zeeman911 says:Apr 30, 2014 11:31 PM

I’m native, to me redskin means a real Indian warrior!

nolanbctalk says:Apr 30, 2014 11:32 PM

Buy the REDSKINS Harry and then YOU can change the name.

diminishingskills says:Apr 30, 2014 11:50 PM

So said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, who apologized in 2008 for saying the race of Barack Obama – whom he described as a “light skinned” African-American “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one” would help rather than hurt his eventual presidential bid.

thegenoatkinsdiet says:May 1, 2014 12:31 AM

Watch out, Atlanta Braves. Harry is coming after you next.

tomthumbsblues says:May 1, 2014 12:48 AM

” In a land of freedom, we are held hostage by the tyranny of political correctness ”

Robert Griffin III, – April, 2013

trapshoot says:May 1, 2014 12:54 AM

Reid should worry more about actually doing his job than political correctness.

Seems like Snyder is gonna have to give in and change it. It doesn’t seem the opposition is willing to let it go. My idea would b too name the team the Washington Warriors and keep the logo the same. At least all the merchandise with just the logo will still apply.

When Native American high schools stop using it, then too should Snyder. Not until then.

starrtodowler says:May 1, 2014 6:05 AM

Mr. Reid, I have to think there are a few more pressing issues for you to worry about than a football team’s name. Signed, one of the ignorant who doesn’t understand how the Internet works.

thewizardofbs says:May 1, 2014 6:24 AM

If he was smart he would announce a name change to happen in one year. This would cause a run on Redskins jerseys and anything else with a Redskins name on it. Then when the name change came, there would be a run on products with the new name. Changing it to the Washington Warriors could mean keeping the same indian logo. He would bank big on the increased sales of tshirts and hats.

thewizardofbs says:May 1, 2014 6:28 AM

What could they change the name to? Baltimore Redskins? Landover Redskins? After all, they don’t play in Washington.

I’m a lifelong fan. The Skins, no matter how bad, will always be my squad. That said..the voices are getting louder and IF they have success will only get more and more loud. This is a no win situation for the ball club because, at some point, it will distract the team from playing the game. I’m a Cherokee Indian and I dont’ care but whatever there are a faction of people that want to moan about anything and everything and it will only get worse. Plus Snyder BLEW IT with his smug over the top response of “NEVER.” He didn’t even frame the argument, after having plenty of time, in a way that makes the name acceptable. I know some don’t want to hear it but there is a piece of history that says the “red” comes from the red clay warpaint the indigenous tribes wore. Also doesn’t help that some super huge racist guy named the team. Hey there grand wizzad! -Richard Pryor

Change the name to the Warriors. Keep the logo and let the fans call them the skins in the comfort of their home..with no backlash.

Harry Reid needs to worry about government abuses, particularly his, rather than free market sports teams. Let the market drive it not stupid politicians like Reid.

mustang6984 says:May 1, 2014 1:46 PM

Hey…Harry…BUTT OUT! You can’t even run the Senate, or give an interview without sticking your foot knee deep down your throat!
So just SHUT UP already!

bonniebengal says:May 1, 2014 3:55 PM

I have thought for a while they should change the name but it is wrong for Reid to compare Dan Snyder to Sterling. Sterling is a bigot and racist. Snyder owns a team that has carried the same name for many decades, and Snyder didn’t name it.

bonniebengal says:May 1, 2014 4:24 PM

What’s wrong with the Washington Warriors? That would be a good name.

tomthumbsblues says:May 1, 2014 5:23 PM

For people suggesting Warriors … give it up. The same people that are attacking the Redskins name, would never be satisfied with ” Warriors ” attached to the current logo, or any previous logo.

“The term “red” was adopted by French and English by the 1750′s after the reference to “red man” was made in 1725 by a Taensa chief. According to the French (1725), the Taensa referred to themselves as “Red Men.” Three chiefs of the Piankashaws wrote (1769), “…You think that I am an orphan; but all the people of these rivers and all the redskins will learn of my death.” In 1807 French Crow (Wahpekute, Santee Sioux) said, “I am a redskin…”

perhaps the “New York Yankees” should consider a name change………British use of the word often was derogatory, as in a cartoon of 1775 ridiculing “Yankee” soldiers Confederates popularized it as a derogatory term for their Northern enemies. In an old joke, a Southerner alleges, “I was twenty-one years old before I learned that ‘damn’ and ‘Yankee’ were separate words”. In fact, the spelling “damnyankee” is not uncommon.

jacksprat57 says:May 5, 2014 2:00 AM

“1sttimepftcomment says: Apr 30, 2014 9:34 PM

How does he keep getting elected?”

He has an active outreach program to the hookers and the broken hulks of degenerate gamblers. Throw in the mob and that puts him over the top.